1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved health pillow construction, and in particular to a head and neck support to the user which provides greater support and comfort for the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional pillows as found in the prior art are constructed of a filler or latex body being of equal firmness throughout, resulting in a pillow having a body so soft that the neck support area compresses to result in no support. In the alternative, the body is so firm that the head sits considerably higher than the shoulders of the user resulting in an abnormal sleeping or resting position. This creates a feeling of stiffness or soreness in the neck region of the user.
Many types of pillows have been designed to provide firm support for the neck region while providing a soft support for the head. One such pillow construction is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,310, which discloses a pillow comprising a pair of firm outer members sandwiching a relatively soft intermediate member. This type of pillow construction, however, has the disadvantage of many such attempts to provide appropriate neck support in that the firm portion of the neck support may not be in the proper position relative to the head support portion for maximum comfort and support with respect to the user. If such a pillow is moved to provide better support for the neck, the rest of the pillow may not be in a position to provide the soft comfort required for the head, and vice versa. This is especially true if a pillow such as that disclosed in said patent is of a size wherein the second firm member is not at a place appropriate for the upper part of the head of the user. This depends on the sizes of different users, and for example the distance from the shoulder area to the neckline, and the distance from the neckline to the occipital and temporal areas at the back and sides, respectively, of the head.
Moreover, such a rigid construction results in increased manufacturing costs and lack of durability. Such types of pillows intended to provide neck support typically may be complicated and manufactured to conform to specific dimensions for specific users. Such pillows are not readily adapted to be suitable for a wide range of users yet provide maximum support and comfort for the user.
Other conventional neck support pillows include a cylindrical neck roll for being placed under the neck of the user. However, such neck rolls provide little or no support for the head, and are thus uncomfortable after a period of time. Another type of pillow is a neck roll pillow which consists of a cylindrical neck roll attached in a parallel position along one edge of a standard pillow. It requires a special pillow case and also does not easily adapt to the needs of the user in terms of providing comfortable support for the user depending on the resting position of the user.
Finally, conventional pillow constructions do not provide a sturdy yet convenient pillow construction, nor do they adequately solve the problem of providing a soft support, yet a firm support at the same time, for different resting positions of the head and neck, respectively.